MARVELOUS: Gov Makinde, extend this gesture to other palaces
Femi OGUNLANA
Wednesday was a remarkable and historic day as the new Olubadan Palace in Ibadan the Oyo state capital was commissioned by the state governor Engr. Seyi Makinde. This is heralding the coronation of the new Olubadan of Ibadan His Imperial Majesty Oba Owolabi Olakulehin on Friday July 12.
The new edifice initiated by the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi is a masterpiece that embraces the culture of Ibadan and enhances the status of the Ibadan monarchy.
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In his verified social media handles Governor Makinde Wednesday night gladly wrote, “This evening, we commissioned the new Olubadan Palace in Ibadan. The event gave us an opportunity to acknowledge and thank everyone who made it possible including former Governor Abiola Ajimobi who started it, the former President of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief O. O. Bello, Chief Bayo Oyero, and all Ibadan indigenes who contributed to make the project a reality.
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“To maintain this new palace, we have established a process where all 11 local government councils in Ibadan will contribute to its upkeep on a monthly basis. For the second phase of the palace, we will also include renovating the Bower’s Tower, to boost tourism in our dear State. We are looking forward to the coronation of our Olubadan this Friday.”
While we commend this marvelous gesture, and more importantly Governor Makinde’s penchant for completing projects begun by his predecessors and according them due honours without seeking to whittle them down through abandonment, destruction or condemning of their legacies, we charge him to touch some other palaces too across the state. After all they say “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”
We will love an Oyo state where developments spread and are even or at least near even, and not a super state capital with other towns in abject state and crying for developments. Several road projects are ongoing and others being inaugurated in Ibadan whereas other cities’ inner roads are in total disrepairs. Local governments that used to come through for them by undertaking construction of new roads and repairs of old ones are heavily regulated under the present dispensation making them less effective thus this primary role of provision of good motorable roads is deplorably hampered.
Nonetheless, let the governor replicate the wonders he is provoking to be wrought in Ibadan in other major cities as well and not forget rural communities.
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In his over five years in the saddle he has commissioned only one project in Ogbomoso – the iconic Adebayo Alao-Akala Memorial Highway (Iseyin road), only one or two in Iseyin – the LAUTECH satellite campus and probably none in Oyo and may be one or none in Ibarapa zone. Whereas in Ibadan, it’s almost every week state-funded projects are commissioned.
In the meantime His Excellency is being reminded of his promise of an overhead bridge (or is it flyover in Ogbomoso). He is a man who keeps his word. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons he won re-election since he made the promise in the early days of his administration and could not initiate the project till the end of his first tenure. We beseech him to live up to his reputation as a promise keeper.
We shall be remembered by what we do.
